Manchin hits Kochs after defense

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin blasted the Koch Brothers for being part of an “out-of-state agenda,” just months after defending them for creating jobs.

“The Koch brothers — the billionaires responsible for closing the Georgia Pacific plant in Mount Hope — have given the maximum legal donation to Nick’s opponent,” Manchin wrote in a campaign email for Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall out Thursday, referencing Republican challenger Evan Jenkins. “This isn’t just about out-of-state cash; it’s about an out-of-state agenda that would jeopardize Medicare, raise taxes on working families and ship our jobs overseas.”

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In April, Manchin defended the Koch brothers against his fellow Democrats, including those attacks from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

“People want jobs. You don’t beat up people. I mean, I don’t agree with their politics or philosophically, but, you know, they’re Americans, they’re doing— paying their taxes,” Manchin said on Fox News in April. “They’re not breaking the law. They’re providing jobs.”